Ripley capital project tops $10.1 million

February 17, 2026

Ripley Central School Board of Education members approved motions at their meeting last month, preparing for a public vote to be on March 11 regarding the proposed Capital Improvement Project. The project is estimated to have a maximum cost of $10,196,736. The work will include renovation of some classrooms and the health office, upgrading windows, roofs, flooring, walls, ceilings and doors, as well as removing a concrete loading dock. Several building systems will also receive improvements, including heating and cooling equipment, electrical service, generator, boilers and pumps, ...

City Eyes Rehab Of Dearing Avenue Property

February 17, 2026

A home on Dearing Avenue is likely to be transferred to the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency as part of the city’ 19A property rehabilitation program. Councilman Doug Scotchmer, D-Ward 4 and chair of the finance committee, reported to the council that a resolution for the property ...

Gone Batty:BOCES Students Help 4-H Club Build Homes For Friendly Fliers

February 17, 2026

When the Ellery Hilltop Farm Kids 4-H Club had an idea to support bats, they knew they’d need skilled builders who really know their way around wood. Enter seniors enrolled in the Construction Technology program from Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. The 4-H club reached out to see if ...

Southwestern School Board Hears Senior’s Proposal For New Mural

February 14, 2026

Southwestern Central School board members are being asked to approve a mural designed by a student. During the board’s Feb. 10 meeting, board members heard a presentation from Adriana Bango, a high school student who has planned the mural project. Bango has already discussed the idea with ...

‘Authors Are Rock Stars’: Novelist James Kennedy Visits Panama, Southwestern Schools

February 14, 2026

LAKEWOOD - Literature leaped off the page and onto the stage this week as James Kennedy, the celebrated author of the young adult fantasy novel The Order of Odd Fish, visited fifth and sixth grade students at Panama Central Schools and Southwestern Middle School. The visit, which turned ...

A ‘Reckoning’ Looms: Stout Counties Seek Life Preserver From State

February 13, 2026

New York’s 62 counties, including Chautauqua, are once again seeking sympathy about potential federal cuts that could impact residents statewide. In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, the New York State Association of Counties is urging Albany to take action on federal reductions ...